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D&D 5e spell changes

This page describes any changes that have been made to the rules of certain spells in Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3), from their original specifications in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition 2014 (D&D 5e 2014).
The rule changes described on this and related pages are written with the assumption the reader understands the relevant D&D 5e rule.
These pages do not explain what the D&D 5e rule is, only what the changed or altered BG3 rule is.
These pages also include many BG3 features and abilities which are unchanged from D&D 5e to help a D&D 5e player quickly see which options have changed and which have not, and make decisions without having to do additional research. If the BG3 rule aligns with a rule from the 2024 5e revision or other material from future playtests, it is considered a rule change from D&D 5e.
The changes listed below also ignore differences which are the result of bugs, some of which are quite substantial.
General[edit section | visual editor]
- As with everything else in BG3, spells use British spelling, e.g., Mage Armour.
- In the same turn, a character can use both their action and bonus action to cast non-cantrip spells.
- Example: Fireball (action) and Misty Step (bonus action) can be cast during the same turn.
- No spells have a somatic component. A character can cast spells without a free hand, such as while wielding a weapon and wearing a shield.
- All spells have an implicit verbal component and cannot be cast while Silenced, unless the spell description specifically mentions it can be cast while Silenced.
- Way of the Four Elements spells lack verbal components.
- No spells have a material component. There are no component pouches or spellcasting foci in the game.
- To cast spells from the Bard spell list, bards either use their equipped musical instrument or whistle. This visually acts as a spellcasting focus.
- All spells have a casting time of a single Action, Bonus Action or Reaction. Some spells which have a longer casting time in D&D 5e have been modified so that they cannot be cast in combat.
- Spells which involve a weapon attack and cost a bonus action in most cases act like a paladin's Divine Smite, in that resources (including the bonus action) are only spent if the attack hits.
- Ritual spells are always cast as a ritual when cast outside of combat, and ritual casting does not increase the casting time. Some spells which are not ritual spells in 5E have become so (see below).
- Ranges and areas are specified in metres. These can be displayed as an equivalent (rounded) number of feet by setting the relevant game option.
- This results in some dimensions being slightly larger or smaller. For example, 15 ft cones become 5 m (17 ft) cones, whereas 15 ft spheres and cubes usually become 13 ft (4 m) spheres.
- Combat areas tend to have a large amount of verticality, but are rather small in horizontal size. This has led to many spells having a reduced range. All but one ( Dimension Door) have a range of at most 60 ft (18 m).
- Spells with a range of Touch have been changed to a range of 5 ft (1.5 m).
- All spell durations are either until taking a Long Rest, or are measured in rounds (up to 10 rounds).
- Most spells with a duration of more than one minute in D&D 5E have been modified to last until taking a Long Rest.
- Scrolls can be used by any character, regardless of their class, level or mental ability scores. No ability check is needed to successfully cast a scroll.
- The attack modifier and save DC for scroll spells cast by a character without a spellcasting feature are determined using Intelligence for Fighters and Rogues, Wisdom for Monks, and Charisma for Barbarians.
- A character with at least one level in Wizard can transcribe scrolls of any level up to which they have spell slots. For example, a character with 1 level in Wizard and 3 levels in Cleric can learn level 2 wizard spells by transcribing them from scrolls, since their effective spellcasting level is 3, granting them Level 2 Spell Slots.
- Cantrips get their second upgrade when reaching level 10 instead of level 11, e.g., Fire Bolt deals 3d10 damage by level 10. The only exception is Booming Blade, which gets its final upgrade at level 11 instead.
- No spells of 7th level or higher are available, as 7th level spell slots are generally first acquired at class level 13 and BG3's level cap is 12. Similarly, no spells of 6th level list any upcasting benefits.
- Summoning spells such as Conjure Elemental or Animate Dead which last more than one minute do not require Concentration and last until the next Long Rest. It is possible for one character to have multiple summons actively out at once, as long as each was summoned from a different spell.
- Several spells which create mobile effects, such as Mage Hand, create summoned creatures. These have their own initiative, ability scores, AC, saving throws, hit points, and actions. As such, they move on their own initiative rather than having to use the caster's actions, and can be defeated in combat.
- Concentration on a spell is automatically broken, without a saving throw, if the caster becomes Prone for any reason.
- The lack of a saving throw for this makes knocking a spellcaster over often a more reliable way of breaking their concentration than damaging them.
- Spells which allow multiple attack rolls against separate targets (such as Scorching Ray, or Eldritch Blast at level 5+) require all of the targets to be selected before casting the spell. As clarified in the Sage Advice Compendium, in 5E the caster is allowed to target, roll, and resolve each attack separately before choosing the target for the next one.
Reaction spells[edit section | visual editor]
When choosing whether to use a reaction, players have access to more information than they normally would in D&D 5E. For example:
- When choosing whether to use a reaction that can modify the result of an attack roll or impose advantage or disadvantage, the player is told the result of the attack roll, the required roll needed for a hit, and whether the attack roll was a critical hit or miss.
- One can choose to use a reaction that imposes advantage or disadvantage after the check or save is first rolled.
- When choosing whether to use a reaction that can modify the result of another creature's spell, the player is told the name of the spell being cast, whether or not it was upcast, the spell DC, and the result of any saving throw (if applicable).
- The spell description does not show its upcasted level, but astute observation allows one to work around this if they know the original spell's effect compared with the upcast effect. Example: Ray of Sickness deals 2d8Poison at level 1, but if the spell's description shows it dealing 5d8Poison, one can surmise it was upcast to level 4.
- No Arcana check is needed to identify the spell being cast.
Cantrips[edit section | visual editor]
| Spell name | Range and
duration changes |
Other changes |
|---|---|---|
| Acid Splash | Does not target, instead AoE: 2 m (7 ft) Radius. | - |
| Blade Ward | - | Added to the Cleric spell list. While the spell's description says two turns, it is effectively until the end of the caster's next turn. This is because the spell's duration includes the turn on which it was cast. |
| Bone Chill | - | Renamed (the 5E name is Chill Touch, which is misleading since its range is not touch and it does not deal cold damage). Undead have disadvantage on attacks against any target for a round.
Prevents the target from using the Help action to assist a Downed character. |
| Booming Blade | - | Initiates or is used as part of an attack action, so additional attacks can be made before or after casting if the caster has Extra Attack. |
| Dancing Lights | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft).
Increased AoE: 9 m (30 ft) Radius. Increased Duration: Until Long rest ( Concentration). |
Only creates one light. The entire area is bright light. Cannot be moved by the caster. |
| Eldritch Blast | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). | - |
| Fire Bolt | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). | - |
| Friends | - | Caster loses 10 reputation with whomever they cast Friends on when the spell ends in Balanced difficulty and above. This can sometimes be avoided by casting Friends while under effects of Disguise Self, except against playable Origins. |
| Guidance | - | The bonus is automatically applied to all applicable checks until the spell ends. Using it again resets the duration and does not end the spell. It can be (re)cast during conversation without consequence. |
| Light | Increased Duration: Until Long rest.
Increased AoE: 7.5 m (25 ft) Radius. |
The entire area is bright light. |
| Mage Hand | Increased Range: 18 m (60 ft).
Increased Duration: Until Long rest for Arcane Tricksters. |
Can only be cast once per short rest. The hand is a summoned creature which can use the Shove and Throw actions. If it is invisible, its invisibility is on the same basis as the spell Invisibility (albeit with unlimited duration), so for example it becomes visible after it picks a pocket. |
| Minor Illusion | Increased Range: 18 m (60 ft). | Does not break stealth to cast. The spell is limited to making a distraction which NPCs may move or turn towards to investigate. The illusion is limited only to a cat that meows once. |
| Poison Spray | - | - |
| Produce Flame | Increased Duration: Until Long rest.
Increased AoE: 9 m (30 ft) Radius. |
Added to the Cleric spell list. All of the area is bright light. |
| Ray of Frost | - | Can freeze a Water or Blood surface to become an Ice surface. Hitting a target standing on such a surface will also freeze said surface and force everyone standing in it to roll a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone. |
| Resistance | - | The bonus to saving throws is automatically applied to all applicable saving throws until the spell ends. Using it once does not end the spell. Can be used in conversations when a dialogue choice triggers a saving throw. |
| Sacred Flame | - | - |
| Shillelagh | - | - |
| Shocking Grasp | - | Can target objects as well as creatures. |
| Thaumaturgy | Reduced Range: Self. | Grants advantage on Intimidation and Performance checks. Can be used during a conversation if an option using one of these skills is selected. |
| Thorn Whip | - | - |
| True Strike | Increased Range: 18 m (60 ft). | While the spell's description says two turns, it is effectively until the end of the caster's next turn. This is because the spell's duration includes the turn on which it was cast. Affects the next attack regardless of which turn it is on. |
| Vicious Mockery | - | The spell causes the caster to make a verbal quip which is voice acted, chosen randomly from a list of several. |
First level spells[edit section | visual editor]
| Spell name | Range and
duration changes |
Other changes |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Friendship | Increased Range: 18 m (60 ft).
Reduced Duration: 10 turns. |
Once the spell ends, the creature knows it was charmed and might attack the spellcaster. |
| Armour of Agathys | Increased Duration: Until Long rest. | - |
| Arms of Hadar | - | - |
| Bane | - | - |
| Bless | - | - |
| Burning Hands | Increased AoE: 5 m (17 ft) Cone. | - |
| Charm Person | Increased Range: 18 m (60 ft).
Reduced Duration: 10 turns. |
On Explorer and higher difficulty the caster loses reputation with whomever this spell is cast on when the spell ends. This can sometimes be avoided by casting Charm Person while under the effects of Disguise Self. |
| Chromatic Orb | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft).
AoE: 2 m (7 ft) Radius. |
The spell only deals 3d8 damage if thunder damage is selected. If one chooses any of the other damage types, it deals 2d8 damage to the target and creates a relevant surface in the AOE at the target's feet. |
| Colour Spray | - | Hit point total fixed at 33 hp + 11 hp per upcast level (the average of 6d10+2d10 per level). |
| Command | - | The only available options are the ones listed in the spell's description. Except for Command: Drop, the affected creature cannot take actions or reactions.
|
| Compelled Duel | Reduced Duration: 3 turns. | The spell does not restrict the caster's actions or movement.
If cast by an enemy on a player-controlled character, control of the target character is lost and they spend their turns attacking the caster to the best of their ability. |
| Create or Destroy Water | AoE: 4 m (13 ft) Radius + 2 m (7 ft) per upcast level. | The option to fill or destroy water from a container is not implemented. Create Water creates a Water surface and causes creatures in the area to acquire the Wet condition, while Destroy Water removes Water and Grease surfaces and the Wet condition. Create Water also removes blood and dirt from characters and puts out fires. |
| Cure Wounds | - | - |
| Disguise Self | Increased Duration: Until Long rest. | This became a ritual spell. Caster must choose from 32 preset appearances, none of which resemble any of the game's NPCs. Using a disguise of a small enough size category allows an affected character to access areas that only smaller creatures normally can, and the disguise can allow for magical effects which depend on race such as the Dwarven Thrower, making it function more like a weak version of True Polymorph. |
| Dissonant Whispers | - | Inflicts the Frightened condition, which immobilizes the creature. |
| Divine Favour | Reduced Duration: 3 turns. | - |
| Enhance Leap | - | Renamed from 'Jump' to avoid confusion with the action Jump. Became a ritual spell. Only affects the caster's base jump distance. Any other modifiers which increase jump distance (such as the benefits of Athlete and Advanced Unarmoured Movement) are not tripled. |
| Ensnaring Strike | - | This is part of the attack action, and only consumes the bonus action and spell slot if the attack hits. The Help action automatically frees the target with no check required. |
| Entangle | AoE: 3 m (10 ft) Radius (circle). | Creatures can be restrained each turn they are in the spell area. |
| Expeditious Retreat | Increased Duration: Until Long rest ( Concentration). | - |
| Faerie Fire | AoE: 6 m (20 ft) Radius (circle). | Although the visual effect is applied to objects in the target area, it provides no actual benefit, as attacks against objects automatically hit in BG3. |
| False Life | Increased Duration: Until Long rest. | Grants a flat 7 temporary hit points (average of 1d4+4 rounded up). Upcasting is unchanged. |
| Feather Fall | Reduced AoE: 9 m (30 ft) Radius. | Feather fall becomes a Bonus Action to cast in most scenarios, meaning it has to be cast before it's needed, but there are some cutscenes where one may use the spell as well. Became a ritual spell. |
| Find Familiar | - | Casting time is instant, and can only be cast while out of combat.
Limited to cat, crab, frog, rat, raven, and spider unless a class feature like Pact of the Chain grants additional options. The caster can also directly control the familiar. It can attack (which does not use the caster's reaction), and have special moves with unique effects. It cannot deliver the caster's touch spells. |
| Fog Cloud | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft).
Increased Duration: Until Long rest ( Concentration). Decreased AoE: 4.5 m (15 ft) Radius + 2 m (7 ft) per upcast level. |
The cloud cannot be dispersed by wind. |
| Goodberry | Duration: Until Long rest. | Only 4 berries are summoned, but they each restore 1d4 hit points rather than just 1, and can be eaten as a bonus action rather than an action. |
| Grease | AoE: 4 m (13 ft) Radius Grease surface. | The grease can be set on fire, which turns it into a Fire surface (dealing damage to creatures and objects in it) and also ends the spell. It can also be washed away with water from any source. |
| Guiding Bolt | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). | - |
| Hail of Thorns | Slightly increased AoE: 2 m (7 ft) Radius. | Concentration is not required. Does not function with Extra Attack, unlike other spells which involve a weapon attack. |
| Healing Word | - | - |
| Hellish Rebuke | Unlimited range. | - |
| Hex | Increased Duration: Until Long rest ( Concentration).
Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). |
- |
| Hunter's Mark | Increased Duration: Until Long rest ( Concentration).
Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). |
- |
| Ice Knife | Slightly increased AoE: 2 m (7 ft) Radius. | Creates an Ice surface in the affected area. |
| Inflict Wounds | - | - |
| Longstrider | Increased Duration: Until Long rest. | Became a Ritual spell. Uniquely among BG3 spells, it can be cast at a higher level when ritual casting. |
| Mage Armour | Increased Duration: Until Long rest. | - |
| Magic Missile | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). | - |
| Protection from Evil and Good | Increased Duration: Until Long rest ( Concentration). | The spell negates existing conditions. Despite the tooltip, it does not help against Charmed. |
| Ray of Sickness | - | The target gets a saving throw against the Poisoned condition.
While the spell's description says two turns, it is effectively until the end of the caster's next turn. This is because the spell's duration includes the turn on which it was cast. |
| Sanctuary | Increased Range: 18 m (60 ft). | Enemies cannot target the warded creature for the duration of the spell and they are not permitted a save to attack the protected creature. If the warded creature attacks, they get the Sanctuary Blocked condition for 1 turn, which prevents them for being targeted by this spell. |
| Searing Smite | - | This is part of the attack action; it only consumes the bonus action and spell slot if the attack connects. |
| Shield | - | There is no prompt for the reaction unless the additional AC will make the attack miss. |
| Shield of Faith | Increased Duration: Until Long rest ( Concentration). | - |
| Sleep | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft).
Reduced Duration: 2 turns. |
Hit point total fixed at 24 hp + 8 hp per upcast level. This is slightly more than the average of 5d8+2d8/level at 1st and 2nd level, and slightly less at 3rd level and higher. |
| Speak with Animals | Increased Duration: Until Long rest. | Owlbears are classified as beasts in BG3, so this spell allows the caster to communicate with them. |
| Tasha's Hideous Laughter | Increased Range: 18 m (60 ft). | |
| Thunderous Smite | - | This is part of the attack action, and only consumes the bonus action and spell slot if the attack connects. Unlike the other Smite spells, Thunderous Smite does not require concentration, since BG3 applies that to the persistent effect, which this spell does not have. The target always gets pushed back 10 feet on hit, and the save is only to resist falling prone. |
| Thunderwave | Slightly increased AoE: 5 m (17 ft) Cube. | - |
| Witch Bolt | Increased Range: 18 m (60 ft). | - |
| Wrathful Smite | Reduced Duration: 2 turns ( Concentration). | This is part of the attack action, and only consumes the bonus action and spell slot if the attack connects. The target cannot use an action to remove the condition. |
Second level spells[edit section | visual editor]
| Spell name | Range and
duration changes |
Other changes |
|---|---|---|
| Aid | Increased Duration: Until Long rest.
Doesn't target, instead AoE: 9 m (30 ft) Radius. |
Downed allies heal an additional 1 hit point, similar to a Help action. |
| Arcane Lock | Reduced Duration: 10 turns. | Renders the target immune to the Knock spell. |
| Barkskin | Increased Duration: Until Long rest ( Concentration). | - |
| Blindness | Increased Range: 18 m (60 ft). | Deafness is not an option; the target can only be Blinded. |
| Blur | - | - |
| Branding Smite | - | This is part of the attack action, and only consume the bonus action and spell slot if the attack lands. The concentration is to maintain the Branding Smite condition on the target. |
| Calm Emotions | - | The spell only includes the option to make humanoids in the area immune to the Frightened and Charmed conditions. It also affects non-humanoids and deactivates (and prevents further activation of) the Rage ability used by Barbarians and certain other creatures. |
| Cloud of Daggers | Slightly increased AoE: 2 m (7 ft) Radius (circle). | - |
| Crown of Madness | Duration is reduced to three rounds. | Does not require the caster to use their action to control the target. The target automatically attacks the closest creature to them. |
| Darkness | Reduced Duration: 10 turns. Can only be targetted on a point, and cannot target an object. | - |
| Darkvision | Increased Duration: Until Long rest.
Decreased AoE: 12 m (40 ft) Radius. |
The decreased range of the darkvision is in line with reductions to the racial Darkvision features. |
| Detect Thoughts | Increased Duration: Until Long rest ( Concentration). | There are dialogue prompts to use Detect Thoughts at specific instances. This became a ritual spell (and is cast as one in dialogue). |
| Enhance Ability | Increased Duration: Until Long rest ( Concentration). | Bear's Endurance gives a fixed 7 temporary hit points (average of 2d6). Cat's Grace gives resistance to falling damage. |
| Enlarge/Reduce | - | The weight changes according to whether the caster uses Enlarge or Reduce, but the formula for determining the new weight of the affected creature is different. |
| Enthrall | Reduced Range: 6 m (20 ft). | - |
| Flame Blade | Increased Duration: Until Long rest ( Concentration). | The blade can be equipped or unequipped, but cannot leave the caster's inventory. |
| Flaming Sphere | - | The sphere is a summoned creature and moves using its own movement. It leaves behind a Fire surface wherever it moves. |
| Gust of Wind | Reduced AoE: 12 m (40 ft) Line.
Reduced Duration: Instantaneous. |
Since the spell is instantaneous, its direction cannot be changed after the fact. The Off Balance condition it imposes does not affect any creature's movement speed. |
| Heat Metal | - | If a target has a metal weapon and metal armour then this spell prioritizes the weapon. If armour is targeted, it cannot be removed. |
| Hold Person | - | The spell itself is not changed, but the range for automatic critical hits is increased to 10 ft (3 m) for all Paralysed-type conditions which include this effect. |
| Invisibility | Reduced Duration: 10 turns. | - |
| Knock | - | Cannot be used to open something which has had Arcane Lock cast on it. |
| Lesser Restoration | - | Can also remove disease conditions. (Deafened condition is not implemented.) |
| Magic Weapon | Increased Duration: Until Long rest ( Concentration). | Can be applied to a weapon that is already magical, and stacks with any magical bonuses from that weapon. Cannot be applied to ranged weapons. |
| Melf's Acid Arrow | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). | Creates an Acid surface in a 7 ft (2 m) radius circle on the ground under the target in addition to its other effects. |
| Mirror Image | - | The spell still grants three illusory duplicates, but each gives the caster a +3 bonus to AC. Each time an attack misses, one of these duplicates disappears. |
| Misty Step | Increased Range: 18 m (60 ft). | - |
| Moonbeam | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft).
Reduced AoE: 1 m (3 ft) Radius. |
Shapechangers do not have disadvantage on the saving throw, and are not reverted to their original form if they fail. |
| Pass Without Trace | Increased Duration: Until Long rest ( Concentration). | - |
| Phantasmal Force | - | Cannot be used as a general illusion spell, only for dealing damage. The target cannot make Investigation checks to end the spell. The flavourful aspects of the spell are replaced by changing the damage type on subsequent turns from Psychic to the damage type that affected it last. |
| Prayer of Healing | - | Casting time is instant, and can only be cast while out of combat. |
| Protection from Poison | Increased Duration: Until Long rest. | Neutralizes all poisons affecting the targets. |
| Scorching Ray | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). | - |
| See Invisibility | Increased Duration: Until Long rest. | Does not provide the ability to see into the Ethereal Plane, which in general is not implemented in BG3. |
| Shadow Blade | Increased Duration: Until Long rest. | The summoned blade does not have the Thrown property and does not require concentration to maintain. It can be unequipped (and remains in the character's inventory until the spell ends), but not dropped. |
| Shatter | - | - |
| Silence | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). | Inflicts Silenced on affected entities. Although spell components are not implemented in BG3, some spells can explicitly be cast while Silenced; these are generally spells which lack verbal components in 5E. |
| Spiritual Weapon | - | The weapon is a summoned creature. Upcasting the spell adds 8 HP for every 2 extra slot levels, in addition to the damage increase. Only one can be summoned by each caster at a time.
A limited set of weapon types are available: greataxe, greatsword, halberd, maul, spear, and trident. The weapon can use the weapon actions associated with the selected weapon type. However, the save DC for these is fairly low (fixed at 12) and they do not scale with the spell slot level or any of the caster's stats. |
| Spike Growth | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft).
Increased Duration: Until Long rest ( Concentration). | |
| Warding Bond | Increased Duration: Until Long rest | Does not end if the caster and the target move too far apart. |
| Web | Increased Duration: Until Long rest ( Concentration). | Creates a Web surface which can be destroyed with fire damage. Although a Web does not cause falling damage if a creature falls onto it from any height, falling through one from a sufficient height does not prevent damage from impacting the ground beneath it.
The web surface applies Enwebbed, which has the same mechanical effects as Restrained, except that the appropriate monsters are immune to it. |
Third level spells[edit section | visual editor]
| Spell name | Range and
duration changes |
Other changes |
|---|---|---|
| Animate Dead | - | The caster can choose between a zombie or skeleton with each cast, ignoring the condition of the remains. At higher levels the caster can raise more corpses, or choose to raise ghouls or flying ghouls instead. All creatures have different stat blocks than those in the Monster Manual (see the spell's page for details). |
| Beacon of Hope | - | - |
| Bestow Curse | Decreased duration when upcast: 20 turns at level 4, 50 turns at level 5, 100 turns at level 6 ( Concentration in all cases). | When cast with a 5th or 6th level slot, the spell still requires concentration. |
| Blinding Smite | - | Concentration is not required to maintain the Blinded status on the target. |
| Blink | - | Ends concentration effects on others (e.g., Haste, Invisibility) when ethereal. |
| Call Lightning | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft).
Increased AoE: 2 m (7 ft) Radius. Reduced Duration: 10 turns. |
Casting the spell does not involve creating a cloud, so it can be cast anywhere, including indoors. |
| Counterspell | - | - |
| Crusader's Mantle | - | Also affects neutral creatures. |
| Daylight | Reduced AoE: 50 m (167 ft) Radius. | The spell can only target a point or a weapon, but not other objects. The spell's light is considered sunlight; this is relevant for certain creature traits such as Sunlight Sensitivity. |
| Elemental Weapon | - | - |
| Fear | Reduced Duration: 3 turns. | - |
| Feign Death | Reduced Duration: 10 turns. | The effect can be removed using the Help action. |
| Fireball | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft).
Reduced AoE: 4 m (13 ft) Radius. |
- |
| Gaseous Form | Increased Duration: Until Long rest ( Concentration). | Does not reduce the target's movement speed. The game considers the target to be Tiny in size, which allows them to fit through small spaces. |
| Glyph of Warding | Increased Range: 9 m (30 ft). Fixed AoE: 4 m (13 ft) Radius. | Casting time reduced to 1 Action, making it useful in combat. The caster may select from the Explosive Runes option with any of the associated damage types, or use glyphs which cause creatures to fall asleep or get pushed away. There is no generic option to have the glyph trigger a spell of the caster's choice. |
| Grant Flight | Reduced Duration: 10 turns. | Renamed to avoid confusion with the Fly action. The target's movement speed increases to 60 ft (18 m) and they can fly between two points, but must end each move on the ground. |
| Haste | - | The extra action from the Hastened condition can be used to take any action, even multiple attacks with Extra Attack (except in honour mode, where only a single extra attack is possible).
The Lethargic condition applied after the spell ends also prevents the target from taking reactions. |
| Hunger of Hadar | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). | - |
| Hypnotic Pattern | Reduced Duration: 2 turns.
Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). |
The effect can be ended with a Bonus Action. |
| Lightning Arrow | Reduced Duration: Instantaneous. | Uses a ranged spell attack for the primary damage rather than being combined with a ranged weapon attack. If the attack misses, the target takes no damage. Does not cost a Bonus Action and does not require concentration. Does not function with Extra Attack. |
| Lightning Bolt | - | - |
| Mass Healing Word | Doesn't target, instead AoE: 18 m (60 ft) Radius centred on caster. | - |
| Plant Growth | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft).
Reduced AoE: 6 m (20 ft) Radius. |
There is no option for the caster to choose degrees of movement restriction; creatures traversing the affected area on foot always expend quadruple movement. The spell ends if it is hit by any fire damage. |
| Protection from Energy | Increased Duration: Until Long rest. | - |
| Remove Curse | - | Attunement is not implemented in BG3, so there are no cursed items which require attunement. |
| Revivify | Increased Range: 9 m (30 ft).
AoE: 9 m (30 ft) Radius. The target returns to life with 1 hp at the location selected within the AOE. |
No time limit. The condition of the body is not a factor; in this way Revivify functions more like the 9th level spell True Resurrection. If the character's body is lost upon death (e.g., by falling into a chasm), a blue flame representing them spawns in their place, and can be used as a target for Revivify. The spell can only be used on companions or the player character. |
| Sleet Storm | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft).
Reduced AoE: 9 m (30 ft) Radius. |
Creates an Ice surface in the area, which is not heavily obscured. Fire damage melts away the ice surface, but it returns if the caster continues to concentrate. |
| Slow | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). | - |
| Speak with Dead | Increased Duration: Until Long rest. | Became a ritual spell. Can be recast for free while it lasts (so using it a second time from an item does not require a long rest or another scroll). Corpses that have substantial dialogue are highlighted in green while the spell lasts. The creature will still not talk with their killer, but one can usually get around this by using Disguise Self. Each corpse can only be subject to the spell once; waiting 10 days does not allow it to be questioned again. The corpse is considered to have lost its mouth (and therefore cannot speak) if it was killed by acid, fire, lightning, necrotic, or radiant damage. Some corpses (e.g., mind flayers and myconids) communicate in ways other than speaking. |
| Spirit Guardians | Reduced AoE: 3 m (10 ft) Radius.
Reduced Duration: 10 turns. |
Alignment is not implemented in BG3; instead the damage type is chosen by the caster when the spell is cast. |
| Stinking Cloud | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). | Cannot be dispersed with Gust of Wind or the like. |
| Vampiric Touch | - | - |
| Warden of Vitality | - | Renamed (the 5E equivalent is Aura of Vitality). |
Fourth level spells[edit section | visual editor]
| Spell name | Range and
duration changes |
Other changes |
|---|---|---|
| Banishment | Reduced Duration: 2 rounds turns. | Does not have the secondary effect of permanently banishing extraplanar entities (e.g., celestials, fiends) at the end of the spell. |
| Blight | - | - |
| Confusion | Reduced Duration: 3 turns.
Increased AoE: 6 m (20 ft) Radius. |
Does not affect allies. |
| Conjure Minor Elemental | Increased Duration: Until Long rest (concentration not required). | Renamed from plural name. Upcasting grants no benefit. Effect limited to 1–2 units. |
| Conjure Woodland Being | Increased Duration: Until Long rest (concentration not required). | Renamed from plural name. Upcasting grants no benefit. Effect limited to 1 dryad. |
| Death Ward | Increased Range: 1.5 m (5 ft).
Increased Duration: Until Long rest. |
Effect protecting from non-damaging instant death is removed. |
| Dimension Door | Reduced Range: 50 m (167 ft). Line of sight only. | When teleporting with another creature, they must be Medium or smaller. |
| Dominate Beast | - | Upcasting grants no benefit. Target does not get Advantage on the save from being in combat. |
| Evard's Black Tentacles | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). | Creatures must make Strength Saving Throws against the effect, which does not use an action. |
| Fire Shield | Reduced Duration: 10 turns. | Despite the tooltip, does not shed light. Cannot be dismissed as an action. |
| Freedom of Movement | Increased Duration: Until Long rest. | Also removes the Stunned condition (in addition to Paralysed and Restrained). Doesn't affect underwater movement, as there is none in BG3. |
| Grasping Vine | - | The vine is a summoned creature. |
| Greater Invisibility | - | Whenever the affected creature does something that would end the basic Invisibility spell, it must make a Stealth check or end the spell. The DC of the Stealth check increases with each such action. |
| Guardian of Faith | Reduced Duration: 10 turns. | The guardian is a summoned creature which can make its attack (requiring a saving throw) on its turn. It also attacks (any number of times per round, not limited by Reactions) in retaliation to being attacked. It loses hit points when it deals damage, and the spell ends early if the caster dies. |
| Ice Storm | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). | - |
| Otiluke's Resilient Sphere | Reduced Duration: 3 turns. | The interaction with Disintegrate is omitted. |
| Phantasmal Killer | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). | Inflicts the Phantasmal Killer condition, which includes both the fear effect and the ongoing psychic damage. |
| Polymorph | Reduced Duration: 5 turns. | Excess damage does not carry over to the creature's hit points. Can only turn a creature into a sheep. |
| Staggering Smite | Reduced Duration: 1 turn. | This is part of the attack action, and only consumes the bonus action and spell slot if the attack hits. concentration is to maintain the Staggering Smite condition. |
| Stoneskin | Increased Duration: Until Long rest ( Concentration). | - |
| Wall of Fire | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft).
Increased AoE: 36 m (120 ft) Line. |
There is no option to create a circular wall. |
Fifth level spells[edit section | visual editor]
| Spell name | Range and duration changes | Other changes |
|---|---|---|
| Banishing Smite | - | This is part of the attack action, and only consumes the bonus action and spell slot if the attack hits. The concentration is to maintain the Banished condition. |
| Cloudkill | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). | The caster can manually reposition the cloud as an action. |
| Cone of Cold | Reduced Range: 9 m (30 ft). | - |
| Conjure Elemental | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft).
Increased Duration: Until Long rest (no concentration). |
Limited to four specific types (one elemental of each type). When upcast to level 6, four stronger types become available. The conjured creature never goes hostile against those who summoned them since concentration is not required. |
| Contagion | - | - |
| Destructive Wave | - | - |
| Dispel Evil and Good | - | Also affects aberrations and elementals. Does not offer the option to send extraplanar creatures back to their home plane. |
| Dominate Person | - | Always grants full control over the target without using the caster's actions to do so. Can only be used on enemies. |
| Flame Strike | - | Deals 1d6 more damage of each type. Both damage types are increased when upcast. |
| Greater Restoration | - | Can also remove Cursed and Stunned conditions. Eliminates all such effects on the target. |
| Hold Monster | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). | The spell itself is not changed, but the range for automatic critical hits is increased to 10 ft (3 m) for all Paralysed-type conditions which include this effect. |
| Insect Plague | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). | - |
| Mass Cure Wounds | - | - |
| Planar Binding | Reduced Duration: 10 turns ( Concentration). | Reduced casting time: 1 Action. Greatly simplified; just charms the target and turns it into an allied NPC for the duration if it fails the save. Upcasting does not increase the duration. |
| Seeming | Increased Range: 18 m (60 ft). Increased Duration: Until Long rest. | Same limited set of disguises as Disguise Self. Can only be applied to the 4 members of the active party. Requires concentration. |
| Telekinesis | Reduced Duration: 10 turns. | Does not require spellcasting ability checks to be able to throw things. Throwing a creature requires the creature to fail a Strength Saving Throw. |
| Wall of Stone | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). | The stone panels are immune to Psychic damage and vulnerable to Force and Thunder damage. |
Sixth level spells[edit section | visual editor]
Upcasting benefits are not listed for any sixth level spells, as it is not possible to acquire spell slots of 7th level or higher in the game.
| Spell | Range and duration changes | Other changes |
|---|---|---|
| Arcane Gate | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). | Both portals can be anywhere within range.
Does not allow using a bonus action to rotate the portals. |
| Blade Barrier | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). | - |
| Chain Lightning | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). | Secondary targets can be any creature within range. |
| Circle of Death | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft).
Reduced AoE: 9 m (30 ft) Radius. |
- |
| Create Undead | - | Creates a single undead mummy without needing a corpse. No requirement that the spell be cast at night. |
| Disintegrate | Reduced Range: 9 m (30 ft). | - |
| Eyebite | - |
|
| Flesh to Stone | Reduced Duration: 3 turns ( Concentration). | The Petrified condition is permanent as soon as it is applied; concentration is not needed afterwards. |
| Globe of Invulnerability | Increased Range: 18 m (60 ft). | Makes creatures and objects inside the sphere immune to all damage. In practice this means that the globe blocks non-magical ranged attacks from outside, but spells cast from outside can still impart non-damaging effects on creatures inside. |
| Harm | Increased Duration: Until Long rest. | - |
| Heal | - | Has a secondary memory restoration effect if cast on The Dark Urge. |
| Heroes' Feast | Increased Range: 18 m (60 ft). | Affected creatures' hit point maximum is increased by a fixed value of 12. |
| Otiluke's Freezing Sphere | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). | - |
| Otto's Irresistible Dance | - | - |
| Planar Ally | Reduced Duration: Until Long rest. | Simplified into a typical summoning spell offering three options: Djinni. Deva, or Cambion. |
| Sunbeam | - | - |
| Wall of Ice | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). | The frigid air left behind by a destroyed section of wall deals 10d6 Cold damage. |
| Wall of Thorns | Reduced Range: 18 m (60 ft). | In addition to taking damage, creatures which fail the Dexterity save while trying to move through the wall become Entangled. |
| Wind Walk | Increased Duration: Until Long rest. | Affects all party members within range. The effect is identical to Gaseous Form. |
See also[edit section | visual editor]
- 5th Edition (2014) System Reference Document (These lists include only spells that Wizards of the Coast does not consider Product Identity and omit names such as "Tasha's".)
- D&D System Reference Document 5.1


















































































































































































































































































































